E-commerce has boomed in a big way, opening alternative channels for innovative entrepreneurs and the brick and mortar stores to sell their products! Every now and then, an e-commerce company comes into existence and then vanishes into oblivion. The reason – everyone wants to sell online but don’t know how to. Here are some pointers that will help you gauge how to make your e-commerce business perform better.

1. Testing the Website

We all intend to make websites that are user oriented, easy to navigate, have distinctive product categories and are visually appealing. But that in itself is not enough!

A pilot testing of the website is the foundation of a strong e-commerce website. Before presenting your e-commerce venture to the millions of potential customers, present it to your friends, family, relatives and colleagues. Obtain their feedback on what they find interesting and where they get stuck in the website. Fine tuning the engine is a must for a smooth long drive. Hence, find the problems in your website which may be related to products, pricing, delivery, packaging, navigation, visual appeal, time taken to complete the purchase/lead generation/subscription etc. and nip them in the bud.

2. Customer : Acquisition, Conversion , Retention and Repetition

The whole purpose of setting up a business is to sell to the customers.

• Acquisition: It’s important that we target the right set of customers using various online tools and acquire them. Initially, to drive traffic to your website, use PPC and SEO and ensure that your ads navigate to the right landing pages.
• Conversion: Using various marketing strategies, aim at converting the visitors into buyers. You might have grabbed eyeballs, but if you have a high bounce rate or less page views or time spent on the website, then you are in a soup. Aim at converting the customers – lead their clicks to the right pages, send follow up mails, interact with them on social media and using Google analytics, find out why the visitors are not becoming your customers.
• Retention and Repetition: Analyze your customer base to determine what kind of people go in for repeat purchases and why some customers are moving out. Accordingly, frame strategies to make them come back to your website. Mind it, even if your website has steady new acquisition, a high churn out rate can put the darkest spots on the brightest prospects of your company.

3. Responsive Website

You must never make the mistake of NOT acknowledging the presence of smartphones around you. With cheaper models coming and higher internet penetration, people prefer to surf and buy stuff on the move. Ensure that your website is responsive- easily readable and navigable on all screen sizes be it mobile, i- pad , laptop or computer screen.

4. Digital Marketing

As your work purview is spread across the internet space, digital marketing can’t be ignored. Your customer is right there, surfing the websites on which you can place ads, or interact with them.

• SEO: Make your site visible on the first page when anyone punches in a relevant keyword in the search bar. If you don’t, you are sure to lose out.
•  PPC : Great for getting traffic and customer acquisition but comes with a high cost. Don’t put all your money in PPC, balance it out. Make sure your landing pages are attractive and effective enough for the search engines to place your ads higher.
• Social Media : Use social networking websites to introduce yourself, keep in touch with the potential and existing customers and communicate with them. Do it regularly and reply to them promptly- this is the key to growth through social media.
• ORM : Manage your online reputation! Customers like to read reviews of your products and services before investing their hard earned money. Good reviews on internet- all is hunky dory. Bad reviews on net- try to mitigate the negative effect by responding to those bad reviews politely and effectively.

 5. Google Analytics

Analyze your website using Google analytics. The analytical tools give you precious insights into your conversions, bounce rate, no of users, no of sessions sessions, page views, time spent per session, customer profile etc. If used wisely and systematically, Google analytics can be really handy in identifying the precise problems with your website and fixing them.